A sore throat, also known as pharyngitis, is a common viral or bacterial infection that can come out of nowhere and no matter what kind you have, they’re contagious and uncomfortable to deal with. Thankfully, there are a number of potent essential oils for sore throat that help alleviate pain and fight off infection.

Today, I want to focus on what I consider the best oils for sore throat and how to use them for shortening the duration of this miserable symptom that often accompanies cold and flu.

The Best Essential Oils for Sore Throat Pain

As soon as you start to feel the telltale symptoms of a sore throat like scratchiness, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and pain that worsens when swallowing or talking, it’s time to nip it in the bud!

Essential oils, especially those with an affinity for killing viruses and bacteria, can prevent a sore throat from manifesting if you catch it soon enough.

If you don’t, essential oils are still very effective at shortening the duration of a sore throat, reducing pain and inflammation, and helping the body fight off infection by killing the virus/bacteria causing the sore throat while simultaneously boosting immunity.

The key is to know which type of sore throat you have which will either a regular sore throat caused by a viral infection like a cold or flu, or a bacterial sore throat like strep throat.
Strep throat is often accompanied by white spots on the tonsils, vivid redness in the back of the throat, and a fever.

A regular sore throat generally comes along with cold and flu symptoms while strep does not.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between the two, so it’s best to get a simple test done at the doctor’s office if you’re unsure, but typically 90% of sore throats will be viral and are not strep.

The Best Essential Oils for Sore Throat and How to Use Them

Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways to help treat sore throat and help get rid of it faster.

Below are the most effective ways to use essential oils for sore throat, but keep in mind that not all essential oils can be used in these ways. I have listed the best methods for use under each essential oil and highly recommend sticking to those methods for various reasons, one of which is the simple fact that many of the oils I discuss are very potent and are known to be skin irritants if you use them in high dilutions.

So, without further ado, let’s get into how to use essential oils for sore throat!

Gargling

Gargling is one of the best ways to treat sore throat discomfort, especially if you use sea salt mixed in warm water and gargle often. Adding essential oils to this simple remedy will give it an extra boost!

You can do this by adding 1 drop of essential oil to 1-2 tsp of sea salt and mixing it with warm water. I find that shaking it in a closed container like a water bottle works even better and allows the essential oils to disperse evenly.

This mixture can be used as gargle 3x times daily or as needed for pain relief and infection control.

Coconut Oil Gargle

This one may sound weird but hear me out! Coconut oil in and of itself is antibacterial and helps soothe inflamed tissues. Carrier oils in general also offer a protective coating when applied topically that isn’t easily removed, so it makes perfect sense to use them as a means to “stick” essential oils to the infected area.

You can do this by adding 1 drop of essential oil to 1tsp of coconut oil and using it as a gargle to coat inflamed and painful tissues of the throat. Using coconut oil for sore throat is one of the best ways to keep the essential oils adhered to the mucus membranes of the throat while its antibacterial properties get to work.

Simply mix the EO with the coconut oil and allow the mixture to melt in your mouth. Once melted, gargle it for a good 30 seconds (or longer if desired) to help dislodge and kill viruses and bacteria while also coating the inflamed tissue. Spit the oil into the trash can (NOT the sink) when finished.

Throat Spray

I use this method most often since it’s easy to bring with me on the go and effective for alleviating even the worst sore throat pain.

You can make a throat spray by adding 1 drop of essential oil to a small spray bottle like this, or 6 drops per one ounce of water. This can be used as a throat spray for both pain, inflammation, and infection control. This method can be used 3-5x daily. Be sure to shake vigorously before use and liberally coat the back of the throat. Try to let the throat spray sit as long as possible before swallowing.

You can also read about my super simple sore throat spray recipe here.

Topical

This method is nice to use in conjunction with oral sore throat treatment so you can treat the infection from the inside out and outside in.

You can do this by adding 1-3 drops of essential oil to 1TB of carrier oil (be sure to check my suggestions under each essential oil below) and applying it topically along the jawline, neck, and throat to help stimulate lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pain.

Steam

Breathing in steam is a great way to treat sore throats that are accompanied by dryness, by I like to use this method for all types of sore throat.

It’s important to note which oils you’re using before trying this method since some of them can irritate the eyes if you use too much. I’ve left notes under each essential oil below so you know which ones to avoid when using this method.

To make a sore throat steam, simply add 6 drops of essential oil to a steaming bowl of water and breathing in the steam for 15-20 minutes 1-2x daily. Make sure to drape a towel over your head while you do this for best results. The essential oil within the steam will help coat the throat tissues and alleviate symptoms.

Now, onto the oils!

Clove Essential Oil

Clove is hands down, the best essential oil for sore throat pain in my experience. It’s antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antiviral making it the perfect ally for alleviating the sore throat symptoms and fighting off infection. In fact, clove is known to prevent streptococcus pyogenes from proliferating.

Clove is also incredibly pain-relieving which is why it is historically renowned for its ability to soothe toothaches. In fact, dentists used to use clove as the topical analgesic of choice when working on patients’ teeth.

Clove essential oil is super potent, so it’s best used when highly diluted. I recommend starting out with one drop of clove essential oil for gargling, topical application, and when using the throat spray.

I would not use clove essential oil in a face steam as it can irritate the eyes.

Cypress Essential Oil

Cypress essential oil may seem like an odd choice, but it’s one of the best oils to use for stimulating lymphatic drainage and circulation. This is especially important when dealing with a sore throat since the tonsils themselves are lymph nodes.

When the tonsils become infected, their elimination pathways become stagnant due to fighting off infection and the resulting inflammation.

In order to combat this, you can use cypress essential oil as a topical treatment on the jawline and neck to help stimulate drainage.

To do this, simply mix 3 drops of cypress essential oil with 2-3 teaspoons of carrier oil and use a small amount to massage the jawline and throat, focusing on the glands near the jugular veins of the throat.

Do this 2x times daily for best results.

Eucalyptus Radiata Essential Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil is excellent for treating pain, even pain associated with a sore throat. Its cineole content is what gives it an edge when fighting infection and inflammation, and its cooling properties help soothe red and irritated tissues. In fact, eucalyptus essential oil can inhibit the growth of both viruses and bacteria that cause sore throats which helps the body fight off infection faster.

Eucalyptus is known to be antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic.

This oil can be used in gargles, throat sprays, steams, and applied topically.

Avoid using with children under 10.

Hyssop Essential Oil

Hyssop essential oil is highly antiviral and antibacterial and has an affinity for treating sore throats and lung infections. It is also anti-inflammatory. Using it, especially in a gargle or throat spray, is an excellent way to kill off viruses and bacteria and help alleviate sore throat pain.

Hyssop is best used in gargles, throat sprays, and steams.

Juniper Berry Essential Oil

Juniper berry essential oil is like cypress in that it is a circulatory stimulant that helps detox and purify the body.

This is especially useful when the oil is applied topically to the jawline and glands of the throat to help encourage the excretion of toxins and fluid retention that may be trapped in the tonsils.

Juniper berry essential oil is best used topically.

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil is a potent antibacterial that is known to kill many types of bacteria with 15-20 minutes including meningococcus, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. Against longer exposure to the vaporized oil, even staphylococcus aureus and pneumococcus could be killed in a few hours.

Needless to say, lemon essential oil is pretty amazing and can be used to help kill off the bacteria and microbes that cause sore throat.

You can use lemon essential oil in a gargle, throat spray, steam, and even topically on the jawline and throat. However, just be aware that lemon essential oil reacts negatively with direct sunlight and can cause some pretty severe sunburn. I recommend using it at night if you decide to apply it to the skin.

You can read more about phototoxic essential oils here.

Myrrh Essential Oil

Myrrh is another excellent essential oil for pain relief and is one of the main ingredients in one of my favorite herbal throat sprays. It is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and pain-relieving and is especially good for any type of infection in the mouth and is known to speed healing.

Myrrh essential oil is best used as a gargle or in a throat spray to help alleviate the scratchiness, irritation, and pain of a sore throat.

Oregano Essential Oil

Oregano essential oil is another powerful contender when it comes to fighting viruses, bacteria, and inflammation. It’s also a powerful immune stimulant which is why I use it in my oregano oil roll-on recipe for cold and flu.

When used topically, oregano essential oil can help ease pain and reduce inflammation but should be used with caution on mucus membranes which is why I don’t recommend using oregano EO in steams.

You can, however, use it to good effect in the coconut oil gargle (just one drop in 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil) since it gets fully dispersed into the coconut oil and is much less likely to cause irritation.

I find that using it in a throat spray can be a bit too strong.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil is amazingly soothing due to its cooling effects. When used in a gargle, throat spray, or even when used topically on the neck and jawline, peppermint takes away the throbbing pain of even the most severe sore throats. Peppermint is so good at relieving pain that it is often used to treat headaches, back pain, and arthritis to good effect.

Peppermint is known to be anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial and can be used in gargles, throat sprays, steams, and applied topically.

Do not use on children under 10.

Sage (Spanish) Essential Oil

Sage essential oil is another potent ally to have on hand when dealing with a viral sore throat. It’s highly effective at killing the rhinovirus which is the most common root cause of sore throat symptoms during cold and flu.

Sage is also analgesic, which means it soothes pain and makes your sore throat a bit more bearable, especially if you have trouble getting to sleep at night.

Its antiseptic properties kill germs while its astringent qualities gently tighten inflamed tissues and allow built up toxins (like dead virus cells) to be flushed from the body.

I enjoy using sage as a gargle and as an effective throat spray.

Thyme (linalool) Essential Oil

Thyme essential oil is highly antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral and has potent purifying effects which is why it is a common ingredient in many over the counter mouthwash solutions.
These qualities are what make it good for sore throat pain because it basically obliterates all the bugs that cause a sore throat.

Since thyme is considered a hot essential oil, I recommend using it in the coconut oil gargle (just one drop in 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil).

I do not recommend using it in steams.

Wintergreen Essential Oil

Lastly, we have wintergreen essential oil, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, circulatory stimulant, and pain-reliever. In fact, it contains up to 90% methyl salicylate which is what the original aspirin used to be made of, though its source came from white willow bark. This constituent is what makes wintergreen so pain-relieving.

Its cooling properties help pull heat away from inflamed tissues and sooth away discomfort which is what makes this oil so nice to use for sore throat.

This EO is really strong, so I usually use wintergreen in a blend of essential oils to cut its potency.

For example, in 10 drops of peppermint essential oil, I may add just one drop of wintergreen, then use just 1 or 2 drops of that blend in a gargle or throat spray recipe.

Essential Oil Recipes for Sore Throat

Here are a few blends you can make to have on hand that have a bit more going on in them than just a single drop of a single essential oil.

Making blends can allow you to have multiple benefits without using too much essential oil and causing more irritation.

For this recipe, I recommend having a few small empty essential oil bottles you can use for experimentation and to house your favorite blends for future use.

Sore Throat Blend #1

• 2 drops thyme linalool essential oil
• 2 drops cypress essential oil
• 1 drop eucalyptus radiata essential oil
• 1 drop peppermint essential oil
• 1 drop myrrh essential oil

This recipe comes from the essential oils pocket reference guide, 5th edition, page 352.

Add the oils to an empty 5ml essential oil bottle (or smaller if you have it) and use this blend in gargles, steams, throat sprays, and even topically on the jawline and neck.

Sore throat Blend #2

• 5 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1 drop wintergreen essential oil

This recipe comes from the essential oils pocket reference guide, 5th edition, page 352.

Add the oils to an empty 5ml essential oil bottle (or smaller if you have it) and use this blend in gargles, steams, throat sprays, and even topically on the jawline and neck.

Sore Throat Blend #3 – Four Thieves Inspired

• 3 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus radiata essential oil
• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 1 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
• 1 drop clove essential oil

This blend is inspired by YL’s thieves blend and is one of my favorites when it comes to an effective sore throat spray!

Add the oils to an empty 5ml essential oil bottle (or smaller if you have it) and use this blend in gargles, steams, throat sprays, and even topically on the jawline and neck.

Sore Throat Blend #4 – OnGuard Inspired

• 3 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus radiata essential oil
• 2 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 1 drop clove essential oil

OnGuard is one of the best DoTerra oils for sore throat and for good reason! It has many antiviral and antibacterial essential oils that not only kill sore throat causing germs, but also soothe inflamed tissues and reduce pain.

Add the oils to an empty 5ml essential oil bottle (or smaller if you have it) and use this blend in gargles, steams, throat sprays, and even topically on the jawline and neck.

Once you find a blend you like, you can very easily multiply the amount of essential oils you need in order to make a larger quantity that you can keep on hand for future use, though I hope you won’t need it!

What essential oils for sore throat have you used? Please share in the comments below!

You may also enjoy reading:

Super Simple Sore Throat Spray
Essential Oils for Pain Relief
Pain Relieving Sore Throat Spray Recipe
Sore Throat Remedies That Soothe Pain Fast

Photo by Garo/Phanie/REX

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